Chapter 427 26: Councilor

On the street corner.

Though only in his thirties, Cao Youche wore a weathered, world-weary expression as he waited anxiously for something.

A short while later,

someone walked over.

"Mr. Cao, Mr. Zhu has agreed to see you."

"Wait!"

Seeing the wild joy on Cao Youche's face as he was about to step into the courtyard ahead, the messenger hastily reached out an arm to stop him.

"Not today."

"The day after tomorrow, in the afternoon, the Yinying Theater will be staging a new play. These are tickets Mr. Zhu is giving you."

"The day after tomorrow?" Cao Youche frowned.

"These next two days are critical. I have to see Mr. Zhu."

"My apologies," the man said, shaking his head.

"Mr. Zhu does not plan on receiving guests today. You can go back, or perhaps rest for a while at one of our establishments?"

WHOOSH!

A zero-gravity hovercar stopped nearby, and a young man with green-dyed hair poked his head out.

"Councillor Cao!"

"Need some help?"

'Wang Peng?'

'The Wang Family are all lunatics. No one wants to provoke them.'

Upon seeing who it was, Cao Youche frowned instinctively. He then took the theater tickets and walked to the official car the Federation had assigned him.

"Councillor."

The Grand Martial Master from the Public Security Bureau, who had been assigned to assist him, spoke in a low voice.

"I can apply for a search warrant. It would only take a minute to get a team and storm the place."

"It's no use." Cao Youche waved his hand dismissively.

"Let's go."

He knew, of course, that the man was capable of it.

A search warrant could be requested directly through the virtual network, and he possessed the highest level of approval authority.

But…

What good would a search warrant do?

Forcing their way in would only offend 'Mr. Zhu' and wouldn't help solve the problem at all.

"Yes, sir."

The driver acknowledged and slowly pulled away from the curb.

As the car windows rose, all the noise from outside was completely shut out.

CLICK!

A flame ignited.

The beautiful woman who had been sitting quietly beside him for a long time offered him a cigarette.

"Have one? To unwind?"

"No, thanks." Cao Youche waved her off.

"Ms. Qin, you're the biggest energy supplier in Licheng District. Tell me, how much of an impact will this chaos in the Underworld have?"

Qin Shengnan's eyes narrowed.

The Qin Family's main businesses were in energy, apparel, and transportation, with the majority of their operations concentrated in Licheng District.

She appeared young and beautiful, but was actually over fifty years old and the second-in-command of the Qin Family.

Shengnan.

She had changed her name to this upon coming of age, and it reflected her style of conduct.

Decisive and swift!

"Licheng District is different from the rest of Funeng City. Nearly seventy percent of its people are from the lowest rungs of society."

Qin Shengnan exhaled a puff of white smoke. Watching it swirl before her, she narrowed her eyes and said,

"Of that seventy percent, only a small fraction are involved in legitimate business. The vast majority have ties to the Underworld."

"Bloody fighting rings, slaughterhouse kitchens, drug smuggling, human trafficking…"

"Licheng District is responsible for all of Funeng City's dirty business. If this chaos continues, it won't just affect one district—the entire Safe City will feel it."

THUD!

As they spoke,

a figure fell from the top of the skyscraper ahead, smashing heavily onto the ground and blocking the car's path.

THUD!

THUD! THUD!

Accompanied by screams, one figure after another fell from the sky, like dumplings being dropped into a pot.

"Hmph!"

Qin Shengnan snorted coldly, and with a flicker of her body, she was outside the car.

Besides her identity as the second-in-command of the Qin Family, she had another nickname that was far more widely known to the public.

The Vibrating Woman!

Relying on her Vibrating Power, she could effortlessly pass through certain solid objects and possessed immense strength.

"They're from the Black Dragon Association."

The driver leaned out, glanced at the corpses on the ground, and recognized the insignia on their clothes.

"Looks like Mr. Zhu has made a move against the Black Dragon Association. Their boss is not someone to be trifled with."

Qin Shengnan frowned.

Licheng District was huge. Naturally, Boss Jiao wasn't the only one in power; there were other factions.

The Black Dragon Association was one of them.

Looking up,

the few figures on the skyscraper's rooftop were already gone. Without exception, the bodies on the ground had been smashed into pulp.

"Call someone to come clean up the bodies."

Gritting his teeth, Cao Youche said angrily,

"What the hell does that man Zhu think he's doing?"

"A new broom sweeps clean." Qin Shengnan flickered back into the car and resumed smoking her cigarette.

"First, he killed Boss Jiao. Then he had Jackal Wolf, the Doctor, and Baldy fight to the death until only Baldy was left alive."

"Then he consolidated the three factions' power and used the opportunity to wipe out other groups. It seems he wants to be the boss of the Underworld."

"If the rumors are true, then this Mr. Zhu should be a Martial Saint. There's nothing wrong with him being the boss."

"It's the middle of the day!" Cao Youche roared, pointing outside.

"In broad daylight, in front of everyone, he dares to kill so brazenly! Does he think there's no law in Funeng City?"

"The law?" Qin Shengnan's face was filled with contempt.

"Councillor Cao, you still haven't adjusted to your position. Once you do, you'll understand that things like the law are only useful for the lower and middle classes. This world belongs to the strong."

"And that includes the law itself!"

"Let's go."

Waving her hand, she said slowly,

"It's only two days. With the Public Security Bureau keeping a lid on things, it won't get too chaotic. You should seriously consider what you're going to say to 'Mr. Zhu' the day after tomorrow. Or perhaps…"

"We could set something up at the theater and… solve the problem of him permanently?"

An unseen force swept the bodies from their path, and the black, stately official car moved slowly forward.

*

*

*

Purely in terms of enjoyment, the technological world of Funeng City beat the Cultivation Realm in every aspect.

This was true for both material and spiritual pleasures.

There were all kinds of delicacies to tantalize the taste buds.

Countless books, videos, and virtual games—as long as you were willing to spend the money, you could get anything you wanted.

Zhu Ju stood before a massive floor-to-ceiling window, his hands clasped behind his back. He appeared to be admiring the sci-fi ruins, but in reality, his mind was racing.

Since the collapse of the Great Dao, the path forward in the Cultivation Realm had been severed.

After advancing to Golden Core Grandmaster, continuing to practice Cultivation was a slow form of suicide.

Even the Bright Void Sect's Primordial Heart Technique could, in theory, only allow one to cultivate to the Nascent Soul Realm.

Moreover,

the breakthrough to Nascent Soul was a step with a one-in-ten chance of survival!

Of course, Zhu Ju hadn't given up. He had been using his knowledge from over a century of life to constantly deduce new Methods.

He was desperately trying to find a path that led to the heavens.

After connecting with his Soul, his already outstanding Comprehension, aided by the Six Passes Alchemy Dao, experienced a massive upgrade—like a processor getting a major boost. His ability to analyze data and deduce Cultivation Techniques had increased exponentially.

Nascent Soul True Men,

could not compare to him.

He had never met a Divinity Transformation Venerable or a Refining Void Great Power, but from the records in ancient texts, their deductive abilities didn't seem all that powerful either.

CRACK!

As the black Source Crystal shattered, Zhu Ju's eyes lit up, and thousands of Cultivation Techniques flashed through his mind in an instant.

It was like transitioning from primitive bamboo tallies and abacuses to an electronic computer; his deductive ability had skyrocketed.

The two weren't even in the same league!

'The Primordial Heart Technique is one of the Primordial Nine Seals, and the Primordial Daoist Lord was one of the most powerful figures of the Ancient Era. By using this as the core for deducing a new Cultivation Technique, it should theoretically be possible to cultivate all the way to the Immortal Dao.'

'And perhaps even beyond!'

'Yin Yang… no, that won't work…'

His powerful deductive ability allowed Zhu Ju to try all sorts of methods until he found a viable path.

When that time came,

he would have a Method for advancement.

It was a good idea, but from the moment he had started his deductions until now, he had yet to find the correct path.

'How can I bypass the corrupting influence of the Great Dao and walk a brand-new path?'

He wasn't the only one trying to solve this problem. For thousands, even tens of thousands of years, countless brilliant minds had tried. He was just one among many, and finding a solution in a short time was naturally impossible.

"Mr. Zhu."

Qiann Lan's voice sounded by his ear.

"It's time for breakfast."

"Mm."

Zhu Ju opened his eyes.

He had long since surpassed the need for food and could have skipped breakfast entirely, but he had other matters to attend to today.

The dining hall.

At the end of a long table, over ten meters in length, stood several figures.

One of them, a burly man who exuded a fierce aura, had the most deferential attitude. It was Baldy, the survivor of the three-way battle.

Although Jackal Wolf was vicious, he wasn't very strong.

The Doctor had many tricks up his sleeve, but trapped within the Array, his abilities were limited.

In the end,

Baldy, covered in blood, was the one who survived.

And he had pledged his allegiance to Zhu Ju.

"Mr. Zhu."

Baldy placed a chip on the table and said respectfully,

"You were right. The Doctor backed up his memories, which can be transferred to other carriers."

"This is the memory chip we found at his base. If you destroy this, the Doctor will be killed for good."

"Good." Zhu Ju nodded. He drew the chip into his hand with a gesture, examined it, and then gave a light squeeze.

CRACK!

And just like that, the Doctor, a hegemon who had dominated a corner of the Underworld, was utterly destroyed.

"Sit."

Zhu Ju gestured with his hand, his gaze falling upon the dining table. He asked curiously,

"What kind of fish is this?"

"An Armored Fish." Qiann Lan stepped forward and bent slightly at the waist to explain.

"This fish is very special. All its traits are focused on defense. It has a thick shell, and its flesh is full of parasites and toxins, so marine predators won't eat it."

"In the past, people didn't like to eat it either. It was a hassle, tasted bad, and had no other value."

"Oh?" Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow.

"Interesting. So why is it on the dining table now?"

"Because someone discovered that there's a fish that loves to eat it," Qiann Lan said with a smile.

"That fish is called the Cuisuo. It's a very small fish, and its mouth can secrete a special substance that can break down the Armored Fish's shell and turn its once-unpalatable flesh into a delicacy."

"Now, when preparing Armored Fish, they add that substance, and the resulting meat is tender and juicy."

"Interesting." Zhu Ju understood. A flicker of inspiration crossed his eyes, as if he had made a connection, but when he tried to grasp the thought, it slipped away.

"Never mind."

Shaking his head, he suppressed the stray thoughts and said slowly,

"Lately, many people have sent invitations, wanting to see me. That includes the new councillor for our district, Mr. Cao."

"Obviously!"

"You've all gone too far lately."

"Mr. Zhu," Baldy said, his eyes narrowing.

"That Cao fellow is just a Martial Artist. Just say the word, and I can make sure he doesn't live to see tomorrow!"

"Heh…" Zhu Ju chuckled upon hearing this.

"The Martial World isn't all about fighting and killing—or at least, not entirely. Killing indiscriminately will only break the rules."

"In the next two days, tie up loose ends. Finish what needs to be finished. It does us no good for this chaos to continue. We still need to do business, after all."

"…" Baldy lowered his head.

"Yes, sir."